When is the best time to start/apply if you are hoping for M

[Bedazzled]

I have heard there are usually more spots for the students who start in August, but I have also read that you have more time to study if you start in January. I have also read that they are changing the clinical start times?

Any advice here on which semester I should be applying for???

[stephew]

I have heard there are usually more spots for the students who start in August, but I have also read that you have more time to study if you start in January. I have also read that they are changing the clinical start times?

Any advice here on which semester I should be applying for??? You should just apply when you are ready to go to school. Remember most medical students dont get to go where they want- they go where they're school is affiliated. Its nice to be near home etc but dont play the admissions game that way without good reason. further, i dont know if you can do all your clinicals in MI anyway (youd have to check the sgu site to see what they offer)

[mjlmjl]

hi, i'm finishing up my third year in Michigan and YES you can do your entire third and fourth year here. I was lucky enough to be among the first group at Providence where you can do everything. there aren't too many spots, but the school just got a new michigan affiliation (north oakland hospital) and most of the area hospitals are very willing to let you do unaffiliated electives. (I am doing 10 weeks at St. John's in Detroit) there are many D.O. students and AUC students in Michigan. I'm from chicago so it is nice to be closer to home. I hope this helps.

[Bedazzled]

Thanks for the update. That makes me feel a lot more comfortable.

I am willing to go pretty much anywhere I have to, to get my education. However, I will be newly married and I feel it is already a lot to ask to have my fiance/husband move for two years to Grenada. I'd like to be able to come back to MI for his sake as soon as possible. The new clinical center is definetely good news for me!!

I've read a few times a little bit about the clinical process, but how do they determine where you go? Is it like the match?

[sak]

Clinicals in Michigan! That sounds great. I am from Chicago as well, please write more on this topic. Where did you complete your core rotations? What area of medicine are you interested in? Will you be applying for residency programs in Chicago? How is the staff at Providence? Is it true that you rotate with Wayne State med students as well?

I also have a fiance and she is currently studying in Chicago. We both want to settle in the midwest, so it would be great to find out as much as I can about rotating close to home. :)

Thanks for the good news!

Take care.

[5th Termer]

Despite my "handle", I am finished with clinical sciences and recently went through the placement process. I ranked a Michigan hospital first, and didn't get it. Probably one of the reasons why is that there are limited spaces available in Michigan hospitals, and they are popular among Midwesterners and families (due to the cost of living). The problem is the same with Kern County Medical Center in Bakersfield, CA: most cores are available but there aren't many spots available for the many Californians/families/anyone else who wants them.

The spaces available for SGU students at each of these hospitals are in the single digits (according to the recent placement memo). This is for a class of 250 or more. It just doesn't make sense to "time" an application as there is no way to predict what particular hospitals will be available to students in the future. Unless some effort is made to increase Midwest offerings the spaces will be limited anyway.

If you are dead set on going to a particular hospital, then you should look at other international schools that do rotate there. AUC students go to Providence and Ross students go to Kern. How would you feel when (and if) you got there and started comparing notes about your student debt burden? After all, if you end up in the same hospital, you are essentially getting the same education, but depending on which school you attend you will be paying more or less for it.

That is actually an interesting way to do things: start with the Clinical Placement you want and work backwards. International schools all have this information on their websites. Tuition information is listed on the websites as well, so you can compare.

Of course, SGU has many of its own rotations in other states, so if you are willing to go there you would get an excellent education.

I am happy with the placement I did get. At least I don't have to worry that I am overpaying for it.

[Bedazzled]

I am not going to base my entire application on MI clinicals. I was asking because I saw a post that said there were more openings in MI for Jan or Aug class. I couldn't find it again and I can't remember which class they said has more openings. However, if you are saying it changes every year then it makes no difference if I apply for August or January.

About AUC... are you saying that AUC students have a better chance of getting a MI clinical rotation? If so, why?

Also, since we're talking about Aug vs Jan, what are the benefits/costs of starting in each term?

[microphage]

AUC actually has Kern clinicals as well as Providence. (among others) Caribbean med schools share similar clinical spots.

I'm not sure about this but I think each school has a set # of spots so you're not competing with other schools but rather your own classmates for those spots.

[fika00]

When would you anticipate going to SGU? I think I will be applying for Fall 2005...i think. I have a husband too who thinks that he is going to be bored to death for two years. Not that the beach isn't fun - but he is in San Diego so living on a beach doesn't carry the excitement it does for fun. I'm pretty happy to hear about this Michigan thing. It would be nice to stay in one place at least for clinicals when I'm dragging around a spouse. Plus- It snows there yay!!

[Bedazzled]

That's how I felt about staying in one place, too. I've read online and spoke to an advisor about clinicals, but I'm in the process of applying, so I do not have the knowledge other might.

That being said, if you look on the SGU page there are several places that have clinical centers (I think that's what they're called -- I'll have to double check the webpage). That means you can do almost all or all of your core rotations in one place.

About getting specific ones...
the advisor I spoke to said that nothing is for sure (of course, we all know that), but that if you have real reasons for needing to go to one place, you will be put toward the top of the list of students considered for that place. From there, they use scores and other things to determine who actually goes where. So, for my fiance and I, we should have a good shot at getting a spot there -- since he will have a job waiting for him at the State of MI treasury (he's taking a leave of absence to go to SGU with me) and all of our family is there and our house is there (which we are planning on leasing out to some friends).

Hope this helps!